The Hermes Klutz
by im-a-freaking-spy
Summary: Quinn is demigod with problems worse than just Dyslexia and ADHD. On top of those, she's can't sleep, and when she does, her dreams are haunted by blood and death. She doesn't know how to fit in, or even what the definition of socializing is, but her anxiety will soon learn to back off when she becomes great friends with none other than the famous Percy Jackson, prophesy be damned
1. The Prophesy

"Hey Chiron?" I called into the dark Big House. There was no response. I took one step inside, then instantly retreated in juvenile fear as the floorboards creaked.

 _You're fine._ I told myself. _There's nothing to be afraid of, Quinn._

I breathed slowly, then almost laughed out loud at the irony. A daughter of the god of thievery being scared by a creaking, empty house; most of my sibling would take this as the perfect opportunity to steal.

I took another tiny step inside, wincing at the unbalanced floor crying in protest.

"Chiron?" my voice cracked. "Hello? Anyone?"

Mr. D appeared around a corner, head down and intensely reading some file. He looked up when he got closer.

"Ah, here again…" he struggled to remember my name, like he did every time, "girl," he settled with.

"Um, yes," I said, "I'm looking for Chiron. Is he around?"

"Yes, yes, the old centaur is in the attic. Go right up, but knock first."

Mr. D, as rude and uncaring as he was, understood my situation and never questioned when I needed to see Chiron.  
I climbed the stairs to the top floor, knocking as instructed, then entering when I heard the muffled "Come in" on the other side.

The room was an organized mess of old relics. Chiron stood at the far end, studying a small skeleton that I knew to be the old Oracle. Leaning against a table, clearly interrupted by my entrance, was a dark haired boy who was maybe on his late teens. I felt like I should recognize him, but he was shrouded in shadows, only the green of his eyes shone from the darkness.

"Um, sorry," I said, immediately stepping back, "I didn't mean to—to interrupt—or anything—I, um."

"Come in, Quinn," Chiron said without looking up, "I expect you are here for your regular package."

"Uh, yes Sir," I glanced at the boy. He was watching me and his expression was hard to read. I looked away, at the floor, unsure how to deal with any of it.

"Of course," Chiron looked up, "Percy, would you mind getting the package for her?" Chiron gave him directions and then he left. Percy Jackson. That's why he looked familiar.

"I could have gotten it," I spoke in a small voice.

"No, no, Percy can manage," Chiron waved it off and trotted over to me. I hastily took small steps back. "I actually wanted to speak with you, Quinn."

I probably looked dumbfounded. "You did?—I mean, you do?"

"Yes. Would you like to sit?" Chiron looked around for a place for me, but everything was cluttered. He cursed in Greek.

"I—I'm fine," I took the same position Percy Jackson had had, leaning against a mostly stable table.

"Well, Quinn," Chiron began, "I might as well be blunt, seeing as though the prophecy isn't."

Sweat beaded my forehead. Just the mention of a prophecy made me nervous; I wanted to leave the room that instant. But I forced myself to stand still, to not move or flinch.

"As you may know, there was a harpy who memorized parts of the old prophesy books. There is work currently being undergone at Camp Jupiter to get these down in written form. Well, they recently discovered one that stood out to me; one about a demigod that fit your description to a T."

"I—I, um," Chiron held up a hand to stop me for rambling.

"I know it isn't something you'd like to hear, but it was something I couldn't keep from you. Now, there is a slim possibility that it isn't about you. And if it is, we don't know when it will come to pass."

"But—I can't—I'm not—"

"Quinn, I know you have problems most demigods don't, but you still underestimate yourself. You should try to have a little more self-confidence."

This shut up any argument I had. Instead I asked, "What's the prophesy say?"

Chiron shook his head. "It's best you not know yet."

I looked down at my feet just as Percy Jackson returned. He handed me the package and I muttered a thanks and asked Chiron if I could go.

"Quinn," he said as I was leaving. I stopped and looked at him, his eyes full of sympathy. "Try not to think about it too hard."

 _Too late_ , I thought as I shut the door behind me.

 **I wrote this maybe a year ago? So, on behalf of my past self, sorry if it wasn't my best writing. I have the next chapter already written so I'll update pretty soon, and it'll be a hell of a lot better cause I wrote this one recently.**  
 **I love reviews and to be honest, they help motivate me to keep writing, so if you wouldn't mind giving some feedback,,,**


	2. Asleep on the Shore

Back in cabin eleven, I made my way to the bunk I shared with my half-sister Ange. At this time of day, most campers were busy with outdoor activities, and the cabin was mostly empty. I sat down on the bottom bunk despite the fact that it was Ange's. My fingers found the seal of the package. I hesitated a second too long. I didn't want what was inside. But I needed it.

Inside was an orange tinted prescription bottle that rattled with the sound of pills. I cringed just looking at it. The label read some long medical name for the drug, many numbers, and my name: Quinn Sollax. I popped the lid off and dug out a single pill. I placed it on my tongue and gulped, then I closed the bottle again and tossed it up on my bed above.

I got up to throw away the now empty package. I threw it in the trash with more force than need be. I kept walking, out the cabin door, down the porch steps, kept walking because I couldn't think of any reason to stop.

I finally came to a rest at the edge of the shore, because I couldn't just walking into the ocean. Poseidon was not my father and he would not protect me.

I sat myself right out of the tide's reach, hugging my legs to my chest. I watched as the water rushed toward me, only to recede back before it got too close.

That's what it felt like when I tried to sleep. Tiredness would overcome me, descending upon me so quickly I had no time to even blink. But just as it was about to throw me to the darkness, to let my restless mind stop its endless thoughts, it would pull back. Sleep hardly ever came close enough willingly. I had to take pills, I had to be poisoned with drugs before sleep would ever come near enough to effect me.

Slowly, because it takes a little while for the drugs to reach my brain, I fell asleep on the warm sand.

I dreamed. I hated dreaming. My inner eye would be force to witness bloodbaths and death and things worse death. There wasn't a day that went by that didn't make me wonder if I maybe was a child of Hades. The amount of time I spent thinking of death, whether awake or sleeping, was alarming. But I wasn't undetermined. Hermes had claimed me as his own, and I looked just like all the other residents in cabin eleven, so it was hard to argue.

I didn't feel any connection to Hermes though. My soul didn't resonate with anything related to the messenger God. I was just some awkward, overlooked Demigod who devoted too much of her life to pondering death and was forced to deal with things worse than mere dyslexia. But it was okay. It was always okay. It couldn't be anything but that, since I couldn't feel anything else.

When I woke up, it was not of my own will, but someone else's. His green eyes glowed like a cat's in the quickly fading sunlight. I sat up with a start, pushing myself back in the damp sand.

Percy Jackson grinned slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

I could feel where water had soaked through my clothes, and my mouth tasted of salt.

I initially panicked, realizing I could have drown. Stupid thought, falling asleep on the shore. Stupid stupid stupid. I pulled my legs to my body and rocked backward. I'm sure I looked mad, my eyes impossibly wide and my insane protective hugging, and gods only knew what my hair looked like.

My imagination ran wild. My still body, possibly a corpse already, being pushed out to sea, fish and sea creatures swimming in and out of the pores of my dead body, an eel making a home in my now empty skull. I pictured myself on the sand, half covered by water, water rushing in my mouth, flooding my lungs and killing me.

I coughed and I swear the water that gushed forth was tinted red with blood.

I stumbled to my feet, wary of the water washing up against my legs.

"Hey, are you okay?" Percy asked. He looked concerned.

I stared, because that's what I do when people ask me things like that. How was your day? How are you doing? Are you okay?

I honestly don't know.

"You're Quinn, right?," Percy tried again.

I just nodded. I gulped. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

He grinned. "You're right, I should have just left you to your swimming."

I snorted, which surprised myself. It was a strange snort followed by a startled jump. I tried a smile and said in a small voice, "thanks."

"I wouldn't really recommend sleeping within the tide's reach. Unless you're me, of course" Another grin.

"Of course," I smiled, though it probably looked more like a grimace, "my mistake."

I turned to go, and I knew Percy Jackson was standing there watching me. A second later he had run up beside me.

"You didn't say whether you were okay or not."

Was I okay? Physically? Mentally? Were my lungs still breathing, my heart still pounding, my legs still walking along this path to who-knows-where? Is my mind still a churning mass of thoughts and memories that don't keep me up at night and was I okay?

Yes. No. "I'm fine."

Percy ran a hand through his hair so that it stuck straight up. "You don't sound very sure of yourself."

"I'm fine," I said in an almost dangerous tone.

"Alright, if you say so,"

I whirled around. "I do say so!"

Percy put his hands up defensively. "Alright, you don't have to get mad."

"I…" I walked ahead, muttering, "I'm sorry."


	3. At Night

I spent the night curled up on my side, my eyes staring blankly ahead at the wall on the other end of the cabin. Earbuds rested against the cartilage of my ear, faint music drifting to my hearing canal. Phones and most electronic devices weren't allowed at camp, but sometimes small exceptions were made. Like the computer in the Big House. And unlike the MP3 player laying in my palm. We are children of Hermes, keep in mind.

I don't always enjoy breaking the rules like my siblings do. I don't like to cause trouble for anyone. But I can't stand to hear the breathing and snoring of the sleeping cabin at night. I like to imagine that they're all dead, and that I am the lone survivor of a mass murder, laying awake among the corpses.

Of course, that isn't true. In the morning, without fail, they will all rise once again with a stretch or a yawn, as if they didn't just spend hours laying still. Sleeping seem pointless to me. But humans love their frivolous things, their games and their fun, things that don't benefit them.

I wish I could sleep.

But there's a tap at the door.

And a shadow accompanying it.

I sit up, turning the music off and straining to hear. Nothing more. The shadow moves away until it's gone again.

I crawl quietly off the bunk and tiptoe to the door. It opens with a slight squeak of the hinges and I wince. I close the door behind me and turn around to see a black clad figure walking away from the cabin.

I grin.

Then I run off the porch, my bare feet making little sound on the grass. The figure turns around just as I tackle him to the ground.

"Wah!" Nico cries out.

I ignore this. "When did you get back?" I cannot contain my happiness, my mouth curled into a huge smile. I sit on the tip of my tail bone.

"This evening," he pulls himself into a sitting position, "I couldn't sleep and I figured you were probably awake."

I bring my legs up and rest my chin on my knees. I give him a pout. "Why didn't you come sooner?"

"I did," he says, "but you weren't in your cabin."

My mind flashes back to my nap on the shore.

I bite my lip. "I fell asleep on the beach."

Nico grins slightly, "Yeah, Percy told me."

I flush. "He did?" I bury my face against my thighs and mutter, "Gods, he probably hates me."

He laughs and leans forward to ruffle my hair. "He doesn't," Nico says, " actually, I don't think Percy hates anyone."

"I sorta yelled at him," I complain.

He rolls his eyes and sarcastically retorts, "that's a first."

I lightly punch his arm. "Shuddup," I say sleepily.

Nico sits up. "Are you tired?"

"I'm always tired."

He gently grabs my wrist and pulls me to my feet. "Come on. You can sleep in my cabin."

I don't protest, just allow him to lead me along the path pasts all the other cabins filled with sleeping corpses. Nico pulls me up and into the empty Hades cabin.

He lets me go and I tumble into the nearest bed. The silence feels like the greatest sound I have never heard. Sleep comes quickly.

In the morning, Nico isn't in the cabin. The sun is high in the sky, indicating it's past noon. I'm hungry, but I know I've missed breakfast.

When I exit the cabin, I realize I'm in my pajamas. Flushed, I hurry back to cabin eleven.

Ange is there. She glares at me as I walk over to our bunk. "Where were you last night?"

"Huh?" I play dumb as a grabs some clothes, but my heart is pounding with anxiety.

Her look softens. "Quinn, you don't have to run off all the time, yknow. I'm always here if you want to talk or hang out."

I pause, surprised. I had always thought Ange just tolerated me because she had to. I never thought she might want to be friends.

"I'll keep that in mind," is all I say.

I get dressed as quick as possible and run out of the cabin, smacking right into Percy Jackson.


End file.
